Attalus II Philadelphus (“Brotherly”), (born 220 bc—died 138) king of Pergamum, in northwest Anatolia, from 159 bc until his death.

He was the second son of King Attalus I Soter (reigned 241–197) and brother of Eumenes II (reigned 197–159), whom he succeeded. Before his accession he had been a loyal assistant to his brother, commanding the Pergamene forces that were fighting beside the Romans in campaigns in Galatia (189) and Greece (171). Attalus’ frequent ambassadorial missions to Rome earned him a favourable reputation there, and he maintained close ties with the Romans after becoming king. They helped him hold his own in his struggle (156–154) against Prusias II, the aggressive king of Bithynia in northern Anatolia, and they conspired with him to aid the pretender Alexander Balas in overthrowing the Seleucid king Demetrius I in 150.

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ancient Greek city in Mysia, situated 16 miles from the Aegean Sea on a lofty isolated hill on the northern side of the broad valley of the Caicus (modern Bakır) River. The site is occupied by the modern town of Bergama, in the il (province) of İzmir, Turkey. Pergamum existed at least...

160/159 bc king of Pergamum from 197 until his death. A brilliant statesman, he brought his small kingdom to the peak of its power and did more than any other Attalid monarch to make Pergamum a great centre of Greek culture in the East.

...donations of the Attalids of Pergamum (a dynasty of Asia Minor); Eumenes II (197–159 bc) gave a large, two-story colonnade on the south slope of the Acropolis near the theatre. His brother Attalus II (159–138 bc), who had studied at Athens under the philosopher Carneades, head of the New Academy, likewise gave a colonnade. This was a large, elaborate, two-story building more...